Tension rod for drums



Jan. 23, 1923.

J. A MEYER. TENSION R00 FOR DRUMS.

F I LED JUNE 5 1 922 I I I 1 HI j'fnz/emior Julius x 7. Meyer Patented Jan. 23, 1923.

JULIUS A. MEYER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TENSION ROD FOR DRUMS.

Application filed June 5, 1922. Serial No. 565,851.

To all LOILOWL- it may] concern:

Be it known that I, Jumps i Mnrnn, a citizen of the United States. residing at St. Louis State oi Missourb have invented certain new and useful lmprovci'uents in Tension Rods for Drums, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in tension rods for drums. and. consists in the novel features of construction more fully set forth in the s tecification and pointed out in the claims.

As well understood in the art, heads or membranes are given the d degree o't tension by tension devices which are generally rods adjustable in length, the ends o1 the rods carrying hooks bearing on the counter hoops Wl'llCll transmit the pressure (or tension) to the flesh. hoops to which the membranes are attached. In the main, these tension rods as now made are threaded at one end into one of the hooks. so that .it is necessary to turn the rod to ellect the required adjustment. Since the drum is generally carried by the rod and since the rod is subject to bumps. it often becomes bent. A. bent rod is screwed into the hook with difiiculty. because it binds. One of the objects of the present invention is to over come this diliiculty by mounting the rods on the drum so that they will not turn when adjusting the tension, a threaded socket or nut forming an extension of the rod and. carryingwings on its outer end being screwed over the rod for this purpose. A further object is to provide the rod, on the end opposite to that which engages the socket, with a hook formed integrally with the rod for exerting tension directly on one of the counter hoops. Further objects will be better apparent from a detailed description of the invention in connection with the accompanying drawings. in which- Figure l is a side elevation of: a drum. showing 1u improved tension rods applied thereto; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical crosssection through one side of. the drum shell taken on the line of Fig. l. with the tension rod in elevation; Fig. 3 is a de tached elevation of the rod looking toward the hooks; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional detail taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5

is a cross-sectional detail taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the drum shell, 2, '2 the membranes stretched over the edges of the shell and secured to the flesh hoops 3, 3 on the outside of the shell, the flesh hoops 3, 3 having the counter hoops 4, 4 brought outside of them and over the shell 1. A post 5 is secured to the shell midway between its edges by a screw 6, said post having a transverseopening o for receiving a tension rod 7. One end of the tension rod 7 is provided with a threaded shank S. and the other end is bent into a book 9 for engaging one of the counter hoops 4. However. in order to prevent the hook 9 from biting into the wood counter hoop 4, since the rod does not present a sulffieiently wide bearing surface to the hoop. a saddle 10 is inserted in the loop of the hook 9 to give increased bearing on said hoop. The saddle 10 is provided with a flat portion ll) contiguous to the rod 7, the portion 10 having a terminal collar ll. formed integral with it. said collar envelo 'iing the rod to hold the saddle in place. The crown oi the sadd e is provided with a pair of spaced ridges r. r, between which the hook 9 is received to insure further against displziurement oi the saddle.

A socket or tubular nut l terminating at one end in a contracted threaded portion 13 adapted to receive the shank 8 of the rod 7, and having a pair of wings 14, 14 joined by hub 14 secured to the opposite end, whereby the socket is screwed onto said shank, has a sleeve 15 slidably mounted on it, said sleeve being provided with a book 16 for engaging the counter hoop 4 opposite to that engaged by hook 9. The outer end of the sleeve l5 bears against the hub 14 at the outer end of the socket 1.2. The sleeve 15 is pressed from a blank of proper shape. the hook 16 thereof being formed by bring ing together the edges 2, e of the blank when the same is bent to its tubular form (Figures and 5). The saddle '10 is likewise pressed from a blank of metal.

In order to increase. the tension on the membranes 2 oi the drum, the operator turns the socket 12 to the right by means of the wings l4. l4, whereupon the rod 7 and 7 1. In combination with a drum provided with drum heads and counter hoops, a tenslon device for said heads comprising a rod adapted to engage one of sand hoops, a

socket having screw-threaded connection with said rod, means on said socket for engaging the other of said hoops, and means for turning said socket.

2. In combination With a drum provided withdr'um heads and counter hoops, a tension device for said heads comprising a rod terminating "at one end in a hook for engaging one of said hoops, and at the other end in a threaded shank, a screw socket for receiving said shank, a hook on said socket forcengaging the other ofsaid hoops, and means for turning said socket.

3. In combination with a drum provided with drum heads and counter hoops, a tension device for said heads comprising a rod having a hook at one end, a saddle carried by said rod and positioned within the loop of said hook for engaging one of said coun ter hoops, a member connected to the rod opposite to the hook end, said member being provided with means for engaging the other counter hoop, and means for effecting longitudinal adjustment of said rod and member.

4. In combination with a drum provided with drum headsandcounterhoops, a ten sion device for said heads comprising a rod terminating at one end in a hook for engaging one of said hoops, and at the other end in a threaded shank, ascrew socket for receiving said shank, a hook slidingly mounted on said socket for engaging the other of said hoops, and means for turning said socket.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JULIUS A. MEYER. 

